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HOME > MURCIA MAR MENOR & CARTAGENA > CARTAGENAThe city of Cartagena
Cartagena is a city of contrasts, its rich cultural and military history merely a backdrop for the industrial and commercial activity which supports the second largest city in the Region of Murcia.
Its natural strategic port has offered shelter to traders for thousands of years, and the rich mines of the Sierra Minera provided a reason for the frequent wars which were fought in order to possess it,
Cartagena still being a major naval base today, as well as boasting a rich military heritage of patrimony. The history of Cartagena charts its development and the cultures which have shaped it today.The city has developed a lucrative tourism industry based on the number of historical places which tourists can visit and enjoy, including the RomanTheatre Museum, ARQUA, MURAM, Casa de la Fortuna, Cartagena Municipal Archaeology Museum, the Augusteum, the Molinete and other well preserved Roman buildings and museums.
In addition there has been major investment in the creation of a new market for cruise ship tourism.
These days the port remains a major focal point for commercial activity, and the Escombreras industrial area has attracted major businesses including the Repsol refinery, SABIC petrochemicals and Holcim concrete plants within a concealed industrial zone. Cartagena is also the home of the regional parliament building of Murcia.
The Campo de Cartagena is a major source of agricultural employment, copnsisting of flat and fertile irrigated areas where salad crops, peppers, potatoes and courgettes are grown, while non-irrigated crops include olives, carobs and almonds.
The more mountainous outlying districts of Cartagena boast extensive areas of beaches, stretching around the coastline from Isla Plana in the west to Cabo de Palos in the east. Here, the spit of La Manga del Mar Menor encloses the Mar Menor, giving Cartagena an extensive offering of prime
sandy beaches with safe bathing conditions in Europe's largest saltwater lagoon.This in turn creates a varied leisure industry, with watersports, a motor racing circuit, some of the best diving facilities in Europe and one of Spain's most prestigious golf and residential complexes, La Manga Club, all creating leisure and tourism opportunities for local businesses.
Cartagena has a rich cultural offering, with important Semana Santa and Romans and Carthaginians fiestas, Carnival, the Mar de Músicas and Cartagena Jazz festivals. The El Batel auditorium and congress centre enhances an already rich cultural programme.LOCATION
Click for map, Cartagena Spain
There is often confusion on map searches as there is another Cartagena in Columbia. Cartagena Spain is located in the south of the region of Murcia and is a major port and industrial centre.
The municipality of Cartagena covers an area of 558 square kilometres, with a population of 218,000 making it the second most populated municipality of the 45 in the Region of Murcia.
It shares boundaries with Torre Pacheco, Los Alcázares, La Unión, Mazarrón and Fuente Álamo.
SELECT A SUBJECT OR READ THE LATEST TOWN ARTICLES BELOWWhats On CartagenaCartagena Local News Places to visit Cartagena CityPlaces to visit outlying districtsWhere to Eat CartagenaSemana Santa, Fiestas, TraditionsHistory of CartagenaCartagenaCartagena beachesMedical Info, Doctors and HospitalsPolice, Town hall, Useful InfoPublic spaces and cultural venuesMonuments, churches and plazasLocations with Military ConnectionsTourist Information and ParkingCartagena Cruise ShipsShopping and markets CartagenaProperty Cartagena municipalityCARTAGENA
Whats On CartagenaCartagena Local News Places to visit Cartagena CityPlaces to visit outlying districtsWhere to Eat CartagenaSemana Santa, Fiestas, TraditionsHistory of CartagenaCartagenaCartagena beachesMedical Info, Doctors and HospitalsPolice, Town hall, Useful InfoPublic spaces and cultural venuesMonuments, churches and plazasLocations with Military ConnectionsTourist Information and ParkingCartagena Cruise ShipsShopping and markets CartagenaProperty Cartagena municipality
WIN FREE TICKETS to the January Motorhome, Caravan and Camping show at IFEPA in Torre Pacheco!!All the very latest in the world of motorhomes and caravans at one of the largest fairs of its kind in Spain Free overnight parking for up to 100 motorhomes! Although it has been running for only five years, the annual “Salón del Caravaning..
Murcia police halt crime gang smuggling Belgian horses to Libya via CartagenaThe Guardia Civil have arrested a man for the trafficking of nearly 100 horses with falsified documentation Spain’s Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the Animal Health Service of the Region of Murcia and police.. 19/12/2024
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Tensions escalate at El Portús naturist campsite as residents clash with managementSecurity measures, legal disputes and safety concerns heighten unrest among residents The ongoing conflict at El Portús naturist campsite has reached a new boiling point, with residents reporting heightened tensions over management’s.. 16/12/2024
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Issac Peral museum in Cartagena finally set to open its doors to the public after 4 years of renovationsThe Isaac Peral House will display objects, documents and models from the collection of the man himself The museum which will exhibit the life and work of Cartagena inventor Issac Peral, in the house in which he was born, .. 12/12/2024
Blanket ban on expanding polluting pig farms in the Region of MurciaTo reduce nitrate pollution, the Region of Murcia will restrict water supplies so that no new pig farms can be built The Region of Murcia is embarking on an unprecedented battle against nitrate pollution, with stringent measures set to reshape its.. 11/12/2024
Popular Café Bar Yemanjá in Cabo de Palos closing for winterCafé Bar Yemanjá will be open again in the spring Café Bar Yemanjá in Cabo de Palos, known for its vibrant summer atmosphere with Latin music and colourful cocktails, will be closing for winter on Sunday December 22 and.. 10/12/2024
Book a last-minute Christmas break in La Manga, MurciaThere is still space for a seasonal getaway at Colina del Emperador Therese and Gisle Keiseraas, the pair behind the Colina del Emperador boutique hotel nestled on the shores of the Mar Menor in the heart of La Manga, wishes all Murcia Today readers.. 10/12/2024
New fines to come into action in Cartagena for those that create the most rubbishThe City Council plans to update the current regulations on waste which have not been changed since 1984 The Cartagena City Council has an urban cleaning ordinance that dates back to 1984, and now they are looking to make a change. The ordinance.. 06/12/2024
Christopher Columbus statue in Cartagena port gets a makeoverThe City Council has invested more than 16,000 euros to restore the marble monument of the explorer that has long been located near the port The statue of the famous explorer of new lands, Christopher Columbus, once again overlooks the port of Cartagena.. 05/12/2024
Club Mar Menor Golf Resort Padel academy star wins Regional ChampionshipA great result for Club MMGR junior pádel academy star crowned regional padel champion in the children's category In the tournament played at the end of November, the student of the Club Mar Menor Golf Resort pádel academy, Marí.. 02/12/2024
Follow the light: a tour of the lighthouses of the Costa Cálida!A seafront tour with a difference sheds light on the history of the coastline of Murcia The Faro del Estacio in La Manga del Mar Menor For millennia lighthouses have stood as guardians of the coastline in civilizations all over the world, shepherding..
Christmas activities at Espacio Mediterráneo shopping centre, CartagenaThere are prizes to be won, toy-making workshop, a Christmas light switch-on ceremony and more taking place this festive season The Christmas elf is out and about in Espacio Mediterráneo and has turned the Cartagena shopping centre into a factory.. 29/11/2024
